Basic Guide to Choosing a Digital Camera

Ok, you may be set on getting a digital camera for yourself or someone you know but there are so many that it can be hard to pick the one that suites you. GadgetHeat has put together a simple guide to help you along and point you in the right direction for any digital camera initiates. Be sure to check out our digital camera size / dimensions article to find the details of the camera you are looking for.

There are also many good Digital Camera reviews on the web such as the ones below so you shouldn’t be stuck for choice….

When it comes to mobiles, no-one carries those bricks from the 80’s any more and the same applies to digital cameras. You want it to be as small and compact as possible so it can fit into a pocket or handbag without being obtrusive. The average dimensions of a modern digital camera is 3.5 x 2.20 x 10 (W x H x D) which is about the size of a really thick wallet. You should bear in mind, also like some mobiles, the smaller the model the more tricky it is to press all the buttons you need to operate the thing so if you’re built like Shrek you may want to consider getting something larger.

Screen Size (LCD):

Don’t got for anything below 2 inches and preferably at least minimum of 2.5 inches. If you’ve ever tried to take a picture on a digital camera with the sun shining brightly or in a dimly lit room you’ll know that it’s hard to make out everything you want to take a snap of. You really want as large and as good a resolution as you can get for the LCD as you will be using it more often than the viewfinder to determine exactly what it is you are taking a picture of.

Megapixels:

In general, the more magapixels the better but they are not the be-all and end-all of a digital camera. You should go for the highest megapixel camera you can afford within your pre-set budget. If you’re buying the camera for a fickle teenager there would be little point in spending £250 – £300 on a 10 mega-pixel camera when said teenager would just as well appreciate the pictures taken on their 2 megapixel camera phone.

Movies:

These days it’s more common to find digital cameras which are also able to record movies and video as well as take pictures. As cameras incorporate more and more features, camcorders are being left on the back burner (and so they should be on a night out or quick holiday getaway). When choosing a digital camera make sure it has the ability to record video as standard because if doesn’t you’re missing out on a great feature that adds extra functionality to your purchase.

Memory Capacity:

If you’re an rabid snapper of anything that moves you’re going to run the risk of filling up the camera memory pretty rapidly. Add to this any videos you make on the camera and you will have to start deleting old images and video to make way for new ones. Also, many digital camera’s do not come with a sizeable internal memory or even a memory card so you will have to purchase this separately. Make sure that whichever digital camera you go for has a memory card slot, is able to take ‘High – Density’ SD cards and better yet, comes with a memory card as part of the asking price.

That’s just a taster to get you started, check our digital camera size / dimensions article for more details. If you’re happy with these features on a model you have you’re eye on then you can get into the nitty gritty like megapixels (how detailed the shots will be), image stability (for when you get the shakes or are taking pictures in motion) and other extras that come with the camera.